by Marc Stevens
The Operative embraced me and then stepped into the down tube. I followed her, disliking the feelings I was having. This may have been the outcome of the council’s choosing, but it was not mine.
“Justice, I am sure there is something we can do about this.”
“Yes, Commander. With your permission, I would like to send an IST signal in the open to the Senior Operative.”
At first, I was a little bit confused why Justice wanted to use the IST rather than just tell the Operative what he had to say. He obviously wanted the Chaalt military counsel to hear every word. A smile grew on my face as I finally comprehended the AI’s intentions. The Operative had just stepped off the Legacy.
“Please Justice, carry on. This backwards-thinking Earth boy is always willing to be schooled in the proper use of subterfuge.”
“Senior Operative, my Guardian security protocols have quarantined a very large number of intrusive espionage programs encoded into the star charting and Dagger data. Was it your intention to covertly appropriate Guardian architecture specifications?”
The Operative stopped like a roped steer. She turned around with a frown on her face and her mouth opened like she was going to say something very unpleasant. Her mouth snapped shut and she stared disbelieving at what she had just heard broadcast.
A smile slowly replaced her shocked expression. “I have no idea what you are talking about! If this is some sort of ploy cooked up by the ignorant Earth primate who finds it amusing to stack his scat, it will not work! I find no humor in your allegations. My superiors have been more than generous, and our charity has come to an end.”
“I can assure you, Senior Operative, my Commander is extremely angry over my findings. After carefully analyzing your response, I have determined you are not in fact privy to this duplicity. Your superiors have made a grievous miscalculation. The Chaalt status of a trusted ally is now in doubt. My Commander and crew freely shed their blood to protect the Chaalt people and their assets. This is not the reward we would expect for doing so. If your superiors would have asked for the information, there is the very real possibility my Commander would have given you access. That opportunity is no longer an option. My Commander has a statement for your superiors. It should be taken with the utmost significance.”
Sael Nalen stood with a huge smile on her face. She had both sets of arms crossed and was enjoying the show. I could tell she knew what the plot was going to be.
“Senior Operative, now that I have reviewed the evidence of my A.I.’s findings, the access I was going to grant your superiors is now revoked. From this point on, you will be the sole representative of your council allowed to enter Alpha base. We have taken measures to ensure intelligence gathered at this facility will remain secret. Any threats of disclosure trying to change the outcome of my decision will be met with a similar disclosure of ongoing Chaalt operations, capabilities and technology. Substantial damage to our relationship has occurred. The censure I have deemed appropriate for this betrayal is solely the fault of those responsible for this shameful breach of trust.”
I made a chopping motion across my throat. My crewmates had been standing quietly behind me until I had finished my rant. We gathered around Sael Nalen and congratulated her on her new status as ambassador to the Chaalt military.
She politely smiled then turned to me. “What makes your primitive mind conclude I wish further interaction with the likes of you?”
“Now Mother, I know you want to stick around and see how I practice the traits you have taught me. If it were not for you, I would have no knowledge of how to stack scat.”
She laughed out loud. “Rancid beast!”
“Witch.”
The smile faded from her face and was replaced by her business-as-usual, no bullshit glare. We all quieted, knowing she was probably being commed by the powers that be.
“I am being recalled and must leave immediately. A cabinet level meeting has been called and I am expected to give a detailed report on all that has taken place. I will let you know if your outrageous ruse actually worked. If you never hear from me again, my spirit will seek you out and torment you ’til your end.”
The Operative walked away from us. When she was about fifty yards out, she turned to us. I held up my hand and waved goodbye. She stood staring for a moment then raised her hand and did the same. She abruptly disappeared with a loud report.
“Justice, call a meeting in the cafeteria in thirty minutes. I know your subsystems were very busy while we were gone. I would like a detailed report on the damage to the Legacy and a run down on the new shuttles.”
“Affirmative, Commander.”
Judging by the look on Coonts’ face, he had something on his mind.
“Commander, with the help of the scientists we will strip all the salvageable systems from the damaged shuttle and transfer them to the other Coram shuttle.”
“That works for me Coonts, but you can only have a couple of the scientists. The rest are going to be busy repairing the Legacy and installing the new weapons. We will iron out the details at our meeting.”
Xul had been standing on the ramp of the Legacy and I waved him over. “Xul, how would you feel about becoming my full-time science officer aboard the Legacy? The post would require traveling with us on all our excursions. I need someone aboard the Legacy at all times when we deploy. Coonts is no longer content with staying behind during combat operations. As you can see by the condition of the Legacy, the job comes with considerable risks.”
The little Grawl looked like he was ready to bust. “Nathan — I mean Commander, I would be honored to serve on the Legacy!”
“Alright Xul, you are officially a crew member now. You should inform Graf and Jaran they will now take on the duties of base operations.”
The Grawl scientist turned around so swiftly to tell everyone the news he collided with Klutch. The scientist was knocked to the deck. Klutch reached down and picked him up, setting him back on his feet. The Grawl apologized and took off at a dead run. I did not think the Grawl realized what he was getting himself into. He just increased his odds of meeting a violent end by at least double.
Shaking my head, I turned to Tria. “Tria, I want you to take as many scientists and engineers as you need to get the Legacy retrofitted and repaired. Klutch and I are going to start cataloging what the Operative put in those crates. Let’s get a bite to eat and delegate the tasks.”
She smiled and took my arm as we walked to the lifts. When we arrived in the cafeteria, the Grawl were gathered around Xul, Graf and Jaran. They dispersed and sat while I gave everyone a quick briefing on our new work schedules. I also gave them the news they had all earned a five million credit bonus for all of their hard work. To say the Grawl were surprised would have been an understatement. They were happy to help and were glad to be out of the labs for a change. Justice had compiled a wealth of information on the new shuttles and had a better picture of what was stored on the Chaalt data cube.
“Commander, the Chaalt shuttles are of a cutting-edge design. They have a very robust offensive or defensive capability. My survey of the systems suggests the shuttles were testing platforms for the latest Chaalt military hardware. Their size is a direct correlation to the size of the star drives and the power generators that supply shield and weapon energy. I surmise the Operative’s comment stating their latest generation shuttles are much bigger and of a different profile allude to the possibility of larger power plants. This would mean better shields, weapons and star drives”
Klutch asked the question that was floating around in my mind. “Justice, will both shuttles fit in the Legacy’s hangar?”
“Yes, Troop Master, but it will require reconfiguring the spacecraft lockdown systems to accommodate their large size. Manual exit and entries will no longer be available. I will now handle those operations with the tow beam to prevent damaging the spacecraft in the tight quarters of the hangar.”
Coonts had the next question that was on everyone’s mind
s. “Will you be able to take them aboard during combat situations with the shields active?”
“I am currently reviewing several of the onboard systems and priority has been given to that contingency.”
Justice’s comment he was reviewing systems made me smile. This usually meant he was doing away with any foreign AIs. As far as he was concerned, there would only be a single intelligence entrusted with our security and well-being.
“What about the weapon systems?”
“Commander, the weapons are hidden behind hatches on the wings and hull. It gives a benign appearance to a formidable weapons platform. The shuttle has four-point defense weapons matching the design of the weapons the Operative gave us to upgrade the Legacy’s defenses. There are two main weapons that are much larger versions of the point-defense weapons. My analysis confirms they are more destructive than the current Galactic Union weapons mounted to the Legacy. I have noted with great interest the missile tubes on the shuttle match the diameter of our stockpile of nanite missiles. While the shuttle is currently armed with the twenty Chaalt stealth interdimensional missiles, it would be a simple matter to load the rotary launchers with the nanite weapons.”
That was convenient. The Chaalt would have no problem using the missiles we traded to them because they already reverse engineered the launchers. Now that they had the original missile design, they could copy and upgrade all of their stockpiles of nanite weapons.
“Do the shuttles have dark energy hyperdrives?”
“No Commander, they utilize an upgraded warp field generator that gives them considerable range, but at the expense of standard hyperspace travel intervals.”
Since the briefing was turning into a question and answer session, Tria had a query I had not yet thought about.
“Justice, if we are able to get the Daggers operational, where would we store them? It is apparent we lack additional space in the hanger unless we leave a shuttle here at Alpha base.”
“That is a very good question, Tria. I have yet to address the matter, but I am working on a plan to install spacecraft lockdown systems in the cargo hold. It will be a simple matter to replace several of the freight locks with stronger systems capable of anchoring the Daggers. The atmosphere retention fields will have to be upgraded to increase their duty ratings. It will require minimal modifications to accomplish the task.”
After thinking about limiting our cargo capacity, I decided I really did not like the idea. “Justice, go ahead with the cargo bay lockdowns, but I think we will only take one shuttle with us. Until our mission parameters change to the point we need two, we will keep one here for backup. Coonts, forget about working on the Coram shuttle. I want that shuttle and our hangar queen parked in the escape tunnel hangar. We will set up a repair schedule that won’t be in conflict with the priority of getting the Legacy back to optimal condition. I want all hands capable of doing so working on refitting the Legacy.”
The little Grawl gave me a nod and waved several of the engineers over to him. “Commander, we will be back to help repair the Legacy within the hour.”
16
I was curious about the information contained on the data cube. “Justice, was there enough usable data for us to get the Daggers operational?”
“Commander, the information was vague and was presented in a format that made numerous inquiries a necessity. This was done to gather information on AI systems’ capabilities. It was also designed to steer the inquiries to more invasive algorithms that were capable of deciphering Oolaran architecture. To simplify the conclusion of my assessment, I speculate the more curious I became, the more information the Chaalt would gain.”
“So, the Overseer determined it was not a good idea to continue researching the information?”
“That assessment is essentially correct Commander.”
“What about the statement you made to the Operative? You said the Daggers were worthless without an Oolaran A.I.”
“The Overseer and I have determined we can unlock the secrets of the Daggers without the data cube intelligence. The Chaalt references to A.I. interaction failing to grant them access to the spacecraft led us to this conclusion. We know they do not possess Guardian-designed artificial intelligences. Once we determine the access codes required to open the A.I. data ports, we will be granted full recognition and operational status.”
Justice put a view screen on the wall showing one of the Daggers. It was covered in extruded nanite tendrils. It would be just a matter of time before he gained us access. I had no doubt that when that happened, Justice would inhabit the spacecraft and they would be ours to operate.
“Was any of the star charting data accessible?”
“Yes Commander, a small quantity was untainted by the invasive spyware. We have incorporated the usable information into our database. The star systems discovered by our guardian transponder are not cataloged in the data. For now, they will remain our discoveries.”
“OK Justice, unless you have any additional pertinent information, we will get started on the repairs to the Legacy.”
“There is one other unfortunate bit of information I must pass on to you. Your Zaen battle armor, along with Tria’s and Klutch’s, are a total loss. The repair crates were unable to reverse the corrosive nature of the Quill weapon damage. In order for the crates themselves not to be damaged, I removed the armor. I have stripped the usable equipment and will jettison them on your orders.”
Crap! There goes several hundred million credits worth of equipment that was essential to our survival. We had collected a large number of Zaen battle suits from the Murlak pirates, and I wondered if we could make use of them. I had a feeling the answer was going to be no because Justice had not mentioned them.
“That’s not what I wanted to hear. I guess we need to pay the Zaens a visit and place an order for new armor. The Chaalt heavy armor could not take the beating the Zaen armor took. Our lives are the proof of that.”
“Commander, I have been studying the Zaen armor design and have been working on several upgrades. The Zaens have the proprietary processes to manufacture the suits. Any design upgrades will have to be submitted to them to determine if they meet manufacturing compatibility parameters. My upgrade specifications include many of our exotic materials. It would be wise to keep information of this nature secret. That could prove to be a difficult task, not knowing the amount of Zaen personnel required to build the suits.”
“Why should we worry about hiding the fact we have rare minerals?”
“Commander, part of my suit upgrades would include a liquid anti-corrosive barrier heavily laden with our Guardian-designed nanites. They can be programmed to make repairs on battle damage or actively attack combatants that manage to breach the double hull design.”
Everyone stopped talking when Justice mentioned using our weaponized nanites. His idea of a double hulled suit had everyone’s attention.
“OK Justice, I did not realize we were talking about those exotic materials. Please continue. Let’s hear what you have in mind.”
Justice decided it was going to be show and tell. He projected a 3-D image on a large screen so we could easily see his ideas. Coonts walked back into the room and stared intently at the display.
“Commander, I have reviewed all of your past engagements and have identified several of the Zaen armor’s shortcomings. To alleviate the deficiencies, I have drawn up plans for an armor suit within an armored shell. All of the existing servo systems will be integrated into the outer shell. This will make the suit larger but will greatly reduce the chances of damage to the mobility systems. I have redesigned the suit weapons so they are modular. It will now be a simple matter to swap out any that are damaged in battle. Behind the outer shell will be a liquid anti-corrosive barrier. The liquid will be multi-purpose. It will not only be a fire-retardant reservoir for the nanites, but also a heatsink capable of dissipating extreme temperatures.”
Coonts was fidgeting like a five-year-old and we knew he had som
ething to say or add. There was a good possibility if he waited for the rest of the briefing he would not have to say a thing because it would be covered. That was not his nature, and he made sure we all knew that Justice was not the only one with a high I.Q.
“Justice, any new armor designs should include different power output settings for the beam weapon. There have been several occasions when we could have used the weapon but its destructive force was prohibitive.”
“Engineer Coonts, if allowed to continue my briefing, I will address weapon upgrades.”
Coonts had a frown on his face and looked like he was in the mood to give us his two cents worth whether Justice was done or not. I was not sure if his comments on the beam weapon were indirectly taking a swipe at me. I really could not blame him. On more than one occasion, I was guilty of careless disregard when the Oolaran in me took over. My thirst for destruction was unquenchable and had little concern for the safety of others. We had a lot of work ahead of us and it was time to move on.
“Coonts, I am sure Justice will take your suggestions under advisement. Let’s move on so we can get to work on our immediate problems.”
The little Grawl looked like he had eaten sour grapes, but he nodded and held his tongue.
“Justice, please give us the highlights so we can get started on repairs to the Legacy.”
“Of course, Commander. As the suit will be of larger dimensions, I have increased the size of the munitions backpack. The suit launcher will now have a mixed munition loadout of five hundred projectiles. To ensure your personal weapons have an abundance of ammunition, I have designed hardened enclosures on the hips of the suit that will carry forty magazines a side. Just below those will be two additional enclosures for smaller quantities of munitions or storage. You will no longer have to bend down to draw your fighting knives. They will be housed in sheaths alongside the beam weapon and the suit launcher. You can extend and retract them with suit commands. This will keep you from losing them in close-quarters combat. The Grawl cloaking capabilities will have to be re-engineered to properly cloak the large size of the new design. I am working on sound dampeners for the boots as well. I will update you further when I have finalized my design.”